


Dragon knights

by Rona23



Series: Merlin´s  magic [7]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Finds Out About Merlin’s Magic (Merlin), Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), BAMF Merlin (Merlin), Can be seen as pre/slash, Dragonlord Merlin (Merlin), Gen, Immortal Merlin (Merlin), It´s not gay just like the show isn´t gay, M/M, Magic, Merlin is a Little Shit, Merlin's Magic Revealed (Merlin), POV Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Protective Merlin, arthur as servant, emrys - Freeform, or gen, pre/slash, the Dissir, triple goddess, wages
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-22
Updated: 2020-01-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:34:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22359580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rona23/pseuds/Rona23
Summary: Sure, Arthur just made magic legal, but that didn´t mean he wanted the bloody dragons to return!(...)“Sire. May I say something?”Bloody hell, Merlin, just spill it.“The dragon´s were supposed to be extinct by this point.”Arthur groaned. He knew that of course.“Just like the dragon lords. Maybe – maybe they also returned?”info: Dragon lords are like kings and royals. Dragon knights are chosen by dragons. SO there are dragons and people who can control them - but Merlin´s word is still more powerful then them.Alternatively: What would have happened, if Arthur didn´t listen to Merlin with the Dissir and just made magic legal.
Relationships: Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: Merlin´s  magic [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1588378
Comments: 27
Kudos: 824





	Dragon knights

**Author's Note:**

> Soooo - because I needed another magic reveal fanfiction :3   
> And when you want something - sometimes you have to do it yourself  
> And if you are waiting for Mordred... he´s not even in this story. I don´t know why. He just - didn´t want to be here :3

“There can be no place for magic in Camelot.”

Arthur had the feeling there was more to this than Merlin let on. Thinking about it for the rest of the night, watching Merlin tremble, he knew something was wrong.  
Well, for one, something was very wrong with that statement. Arthur had seen what magic had done. Magic had killed his father, after all. 

But it was also a sorcerer who had tried to heal him. The sorcerer had every reason to kill Arthur´s father. He had made that very clear.   
Arthur would never forget the distraught look in the old man´s eyes. It hat struck something inside Arthur.   
At the time, he had been too mad to consider it. Talking with Gaius had cleared things up a bit.   
The old man had not lied. He did try to safe his father´s life.   
Apparently, he even knew of some encounters that Arthur had survived because of magic. 

What to make of it? Arthur wasn´t quite sure. 

However, Merlin´s reaction made him wonder even more. Had not Merlin´s best friend been a sorcerer? Had said sorcerer not risked his life for Arthur? Why would he do that if he was evil?  
Merlin had almost seemed lifeless at the dying body.   
Hopeless. 

Not to mention all these times Merlin had tried to help magical creatures. The unicorn for example. He had warned him that his actions would have consequences.  
For god´s sake, the man had told Arthur to go to the Dissir unarmed! If anyone – really anyone – would trust a sorcerer … it would be Merlin. Would it not?  
There was more to it. Though Arthur didn´t see what it could be. Did Merlin want Mordred dead?

Questions over questions.   
Arthur had the feeling that the decision was getting more and more complicated, the more he thought about it. And asking Merlin to make that decision for him? That was out right cruel.   
Arthur sighed, as he tried to sleep once more. 

And then – he thought of the orb. It was practically one of his first encounters with actual magic. An orb, bright blue, had helped him, when Nymueh had tried to kill him. While Arthur had tried to safe Merlin. That sorcerer had never reappeared. He had never asked anything of him in return.   
The orb had just kept him alive. Somehow, Arthur felt, that this orb had never left his side. Protected him. Like a guardian angel.   
That as well was magic. For this small shimmer of hope -  
Was there no place for that orb?

_________________________

Okay maybe it was a complete mistake. Arthur was panicking, while Merlin stared at him with wide eyes.   
“You agreed to return magic to Camelot.”, Merlin said, deadpanned. 

“Yes, Merlin. Very observant. I always thought you were deaf as well as dumb. Turns out you´re just the latter. Don´t take it to heart. It only took you what, two weeks to figure this out?” Arthur had no time for this banter. He was holding his sword as though it was is only life line. 

“Arthur -”, great that was worrying. Merlin wasn´t even returning the insults. 

Two weeks ago, Arthur had bowed to the triple goddess. Two weeks of calm and quiet.   
Two weeks of writing and rewriting laws with the help of Merlin. The servant had surprisingly wise insight on the whole thing. Odd – as though he had been thinking of this for a long time.   
Even odder – Merlin wasn´t even mad at his solo decision. He had not asked, not questioned it. Merlin looked relieved – somehow.   
He didn´t look this calm in months. Arthur knew. Not that he was counting the days between Merlin´s smiles of course. 

One could almost think it was Merlin who made the decisions for this country. He just looked that relieved. 

Well – except now of course.   
Whatever the triple goddess had done, Arthur feared for his life. And the life of his men. Well, maybe they would at least let their fingers – or claws – from Mordred. After all – he had been their deal. 

Sure, Arthur just made magic legal, but that didn´t mean he wanted the bloody dragons to return!

And yes, that was what this was. Arthur, his knights, Merlin, Gwen, everyone were hiding in the throne room. Hoping, praying – that the dragons would stay small specks in the sky.   
They counted twelve as about now.   
If this continued – then they would soon outnumber the twelve knights of the round table. 

It had cost so much to defeat one of them. Arthur almost died, for god´s sake!  
That was just one. But Twelve? 

“We can´t hold them of.”, Leon said, worry clear in his eyes. There was something – like blame – but reasonable blame – playing on his first knights features.   
“One attack and Camelot is doomed.”, he said, making Arthur sink to the floor. He should have listened to Merlin. God how he hated to think that. 

“Sire. May I say something?”  
Bloody hell, Merlin, just spill it. 

“The dragon´s were supposed to be extinct by this point.”  
Arthur groaned. He knew that of course.   
“Just like the dragon lords. Maybe – maybe they also returned?”  
Arthur looked up to meet his servants eyes. Merlin didn´t look scared. The entire castle was terrified, but Merlin – of course Merlin had to wear a hopeful smile. 

“That – that could be possible...”, Arthur nodded. The dragons had not attacked just yet.   
Maybe there were dragon lords involved after all. 

“Fine – fine -”, with a last speck of hope, Arthur stood up again. “Leon – you and the knights need to protect the people of this town. You will stay here. I trust your decisions. Merlin, prepare the horses. We´ll ride at dawn.”

__________________________

The idiot was humming. HUMMING!   
There were twelve bloody dragons roaming the castle, Arthur was leaving his people behind and Merlin looked like they were going flower picking!  
Hmm … Maybe this was due to the fact that this was basically the first time they left Camelot, without anyone dead yet, and without their threat to be actually active. 

“Can you quit this stupid noise, Merlin?!”  
Arthur didn´t get this guy. 

“Well – it IS a beautiful day.”, Merlin said and picked a leaf from a passing tree.   
That! Arthur couldn´t deny. It was as though the entire world was suddenly blooming. The air felt fresher, the colors were intense. Flowers rained on them as though they prophecised peace and freedom rather than destruction. 

“You puzzle me, Merlin. When I made the decision, you were so insistent to leave magic illegal.   
What happened to make you act like this?”

Merlin´s face fell. Okay, okay. Abort the mission. Arthur wanted to hit himself. Finally Merlin was happy again and he had singlehandedly destroyed it. 

Merlin sighed. “I just – trust the decision you´ve made. You should too.”, he said and nodded, as he looked up to meet Arthur with another smile. 

Arthur wanted to argue against that – because what the hell Merlin?  
Unfortunately in that moment, something small rushed through them in an instant.   
It was green and big – yet smaller than what Arthur would have imagined.   
Yes – it was a dragon that caused Arthur to grab for his servant and jump from the terrified horses. Who – in return, took the current situation as a reasonable excuse to panic and fled back to Camelot.   
“FILO! I said stop! Wait for me!”, they heard someone call out, as the dragon had just passed.   
But it wasn´t a normal voice. 

“What did he say?”, Arthur asked baffled, still holding on to Merlin, as they were buried deep into the moss and dirst.   
Merlin opened his mouth at the realization. 

“I think – that was dragon language?”, Merlin tried to explain, just to be hit by a lathered glove as Arthur sat up. Leaves colorfully falling to the ground. “There is no such thing, Merlin.” Merlin gave him a look, before he rolled his eyes and stood up, dusting himself off.   
All while Arthur was standing up as well, and drew his sort. 

“FILO! You scared them.”  
The man and his dragon had come to a stop. The dragon – it must have been a child dragon – was yawning at his ear. It´s scaled were green, but with a silvery mix that made it shine white in the sunlight. 

“Hi, My name is Menos.”, the man, he reminded Merlin of Will, came forward. More like stumbled, as his dragon was nudging him in the side and he almost fell on his face. 

“You speak our language.”, Arthur blinked, stunned, as he looked at his manservant for an explanation. Because he spoke their language quite well.   
Merlin just shook his head. As though any of this was Arthur´s fault!

“Of course I do. I´m a farmer in Camelot. May I ask who you are?”, Menos asked with a raised brow at their armor. He didn´t seem frightened. Why would he be? He had a freaking dragon as a friend. 

“My name is Merlin. And that Clotpole over there -”, he glanced at Arthur with an unimpressed look. “- is Arthur Pendragon. King of Camelot.”

The boys eyes widened, as he pointed at Arthur and stepped back. Immediately bowing to him.   
“I´m sorry my lord!”, he said with his face to the ground, startling the king.   
“You too”, he hissed at the dragon in that language Arthur did not understand. Arthur´s grip tightened on his sword. But then – the dragon bowed to him as well. Arthur´s jaw dropped. Unsure of what to say, he turned to Merlin. After all – a dragon was bowing to him. A freaking dragon. 

“Are you a dragon lord?”, Merlin asked, stepping closer now. Of course he was not impressed. Why was he even surprised?  
Yep, Merlin must have a death wish, Arthur decided. 

“What? No, what makes you say that?”, the boy asked, chuckling, as he looked up at Merlin. He shot a glance at the king who nodded at him as a sign that he was allowed to stand up. 

“Filo is my friend.”

“But you have the ability to control dragons, do you not?”, Merlin asked and Arthur frowned at that. This information was – kind of new. Far fetched perhaps – but new. 

“What? Oh no. That? I have the ability to talk to him. He listens to me sometimes, but I cannot command him. Believe me, I would have told him to be more quiet, if I could do that. Well- the others can. Most of them at least. But only their own.   
I wouldn´t do it, even if I could. Filo is my friend. I mean – his name means Friend in dragon. And I wouldn´t command my friend now, would I?  
No – I´m what they call a dragon knight.”, he pointed at the dragon. As though Filo had told him.   
Arthur was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that thing had a damn name! Now it could talk? Also – there were others like him? And then again, Arthur wasn´t sure if he liked the fact they were abusing the name of the knights...

“He chose me as his friend. I think he said something about us being a new generation of dragons and dragon knights. The dragons chose us as their – well – guardians or something. Well – of course if we ever met a dragon lord, he could command all of them easily and tell them what to do and our word wouldn´t mean a thing to them – so I´m kind of glad they don´t exist anmore.”

Arthur blinked. That boy could talk – damn it.   
“Let me get this straight. You´re a dragon knight. You can only control one dragon. One who chose you to command him?”

The boy smiled. “Yes.”

“And there are more like you?”

“We´re twelve, as far as I know. We meet sometimes, since well – most of us were thrown out our homes when our families found out we were harboring dragons.   
Sure magic is no longer outlawed – since about how long? A couple of days? We assume we´re only the first wave.”

Merlin shared a look with Arthur.   
“And you tell us all of this – why?”

The boy shrugged with a grin, before kicking the ground. The dragon stared at them warily, his green eyes piercing into Merlin´s. As though he recognized something within them. 

“Because you are king Arthur?”, the boy tilted his head. “I mean, I´ve been a farmer for Camelot all my life. And we´ve never been treated as fairly by your father as we are by you. And now I have a dragon as a friend and soon after magic was legalized? I mean – I really have no reason to complain now, do I?”

Arthur´s mouth dropped open. “You have – magic?”, he asked, wary of the situation. Despite his choice, he was still doubting this boys intentions. He seemed nice though. 

“Well – yeah?”, he asked, shoulders raised. How naive was this boy?  
He pointed at the ground with his hands crossed in front of him, as he concentrated. His eyes glowed golden as he casted a spell.   
A second later, blue roses grew from the spot.   
“Isn´t it beautiful?”, he asked, looking at Arthur for approval. “Since people like me are legally allowed to do that – the farms are flourishing!   
Everyone with magic does it! You´ll see. Soon we won´t have to starve in winter any longer.”

He smiled so widely, Arthur couldn´t help but put his sword back in.   
This boy was an idiot. But a kind one. And a part of Arthur wondered, if maybe this boy had a point. 

“How about, you let us meet the other knights? And maybe you´ll explain that dragon hierarchy to us a bit further.”, Arthur finally complied, waving his arms around him, as if to ask the boy which direction to go. 

The boy frowned at that.   
“The others – they erm – I don´t think they would like to see you.”, he said, sitting down on the grass, as the dragon but his head on his shoulder. Wasn´t that heavy?

Arthur sighed.   
“I think I understand that. But you must understand that I fear for Camelot with all these dragons flying about. So are my people. They are wary enough of the lift of the ban on magic.   
But dragons returning? After the last one killed so many of them?”

The boy pressed his lips to a thin line, thinking.   
“We are not attacking though. And as long as the last dragon lord protects Camelot, we wouldn´t dare attack. You know – he´s kind of like our king. We´ve been talking to the druids. Emrys is very powerful. Even without his magic …. he´s royality in our realm.”, the boy patted the Dragon´s head. 

“I am your king.”, Arthur frowned once more. There was another king in this land? One the powerful and magical creatures vouched to?

“And yet – he is far more powerful than you.”, the boy continued, not a hint of fear from Arthur.   
Where was the boy who had just kneeled before him?  
“If he´s so powerful, why have I never heard of him before?”

The boy chuckled. “Doesn´t that just prove how powerful he is? He lives in Camelot, right under your nose and yet you know nothing of him. He protects you and you can´t even see it.”

“How do you know all this?”, Merlin interrupted him. Wait – did Merlin know who this Emrys was? Was this even real? Was this – a thing?

No – maybe Merlin was just playing along to get more information. Yes, that must be it.   
Sometimes Merlin was smarter than Arthur gave him credit for. 

The boy shrugged. “The dragon told me. And the druids.”

“Can we please stop pretending like the dragon understands you?”, Arthur sighed, annoyed and a bit overwhelmed by all this information dropped on him. 

Merlin shot him another look. Maybe Merlin was not as smart as Arthur had given him credit for.   
Talking dragons – yeah right. 

________________________

They made a decision that night. Despite his previous disrespect, the dragon boy – called Menos – had made sure he was on Arthur´s side. Though it turned out he didn´t know as much about Emrys as he initially had said. 

Though Arthur doubted there was a sorcerer living right under his nose. He had to admit, it would explain where the orb had come from all those years ago.   
It worried him to think that he couldn´t rule out the possibility. Then again – he had been betrayed many times before. Maybe Emrys had been one of them? Still – Something told him that wasn´t the case, as he watched Merlin sleep. 

How was he able to sleep so soundly at a situation like this, anyway?

“You can´t sleep?”, or not.

“Not really. I mean – meeting a dragon knight may be one thing – but do so without any weapons? Going in and bowing to them? They will only laugh. And kill me right after.”, Arthur said. This time – he wanted to trust Merlin´s decision. He hadn´t the last two time. One time he had suffered from not listening, the other he wasn´t quite sure what to make of yet. 

“Don´t worry. I´m sure you can convince them to work for Camelot. If they see what kind of king you are, they will listen to you. I´m certain.”

“Thank you, Merlin.”

“And when they don´t, I´m still there to protect you.”

“Don´t ruin it.”

________________________

“I told you.”, Arthur hissed at Merlin. Both of them stood in front of the dragons and their knights. Some dragons were younger than others. Others were bigger and seemingly older. A few were red, some green, like Meno´s, others a dark violet.   
You couldn´t really describe them if you tried. They came as different as colors, and forms and species.   
Their knights – were similar. There were girls as well as men, boys as well as women. Though Arthur had the feeling, none of them really cared about the binary. Some might not even apply to it.

Anyway, they were all laughing as they pointed at Arthur.   
A girl, around his age, just as blond as Arthur, sat on a blue dragon, flying through the sky, as Arthur stood there. Wearing a simple shirt and trousers, like a peasant, his armor abandoned in the trees. 

Merlin stood protectively next to him. 

Arthur was bowing to them, shortly, in a polite manner. 

“So, you are the king of Camelot? And you´re asking us to join you?”, she asked. Apparently she was some kind of leader of their group.   
“I suppose, so we won´t attack Camelot, correct?”, she asked, unimpressed. 

“And why would we do that? What has Camelot ever done for us?”, a boy, leaning lazily against his red sleeping nightmare of a dragon. He was big. Old, yes, but not as old as Kilgarrah. 

“It´s where you live?”, Arthur tried, but received nothing but laughter. 

“Your father burned my parents on the pyre.”, the girl in the sky said coldly, as Arthur gulped.   
“Name me one reason why I shouldn´t kill you right now?”

Could she do that? According to her growling dragon – she definitely could. 

“I´m not my father.”, he said, shaking his head. “I just legalized magic.”

“He´s got a point, Mary.”, the boy on the ground grinned at her, as he bit on a straw that he had picked from the fields. 

“Yeah. And I don´t trust that. I bet he only did it to find the last remaining sorcerers, so he can burn them all.”, she hissed and Arthur couldn´t help but feel verbally attacked. 

“I did it, because I thought it was the right thing to do.”, he said, voice breaking at the half lie.   
Merlin looked at him oddly from the side.   
“And I came here, unarmed. Surely you must see that I mean you no harm.”

“You mean that you´re desperate.”, the girl raised an eyebrow. 

Arthur´s eye twitched in annoyance.   
“Well – maybe my people are more important to me than my life and I would like to make sure they don´t have to suffer from my actions.”

That shut her up. She pouted in his direction, mulling it over.   
“I like you.”, she said, mumbling something so her dragon would land. He complied without hesitation.   
Was Arthur imagining things or was Merlin growling at her?

“How about this. The two of you will serve us for – let´s say two weeks and then we´ll promise to leave Camelot alone?  
IF – you do a good job that is.”, she said, grinning widely as her friends joined in. 

“Menos can help too.”, she waved at the boy behind Arthur. 

“He´s one of you. Why would he help us serve you?”, Merlin asked and Arthur had the desire to punch him in the face. Don´t be disrespectful - now that we struck a deal!

“He doesn´t deserve to be a dragon knight. He pampers his dragon too much. I know he´s knew to all this, but honestly? He can´t even command it.   
“XIF!”, she hissed at her dragon. The dragon widened his wings to fly off again, as she muttered a command.   
“I´ll overlook your disrespect for now, boy. Just do as we say.” With that she was gone in the sky. 

“She called him a sword. That poor dragon.”, Menos whispered behind them.   
Merlin nodded, as though he understood. “Her dragon won´t grow up properly, if she leaves him on the leash.”, Merlin whispered back. 

Arthur shot him a look. The corner of his mouth rising in irritation. 

That was when the boy on the ground gave him his first order.   
“You can polish my boots, KING.”, he said, kicking of his muddied shoes. Those shoes were not worth cleaning. 

They almost hit him in the head, but Merlin caught them for him. Right – Arthur threw his boots at him constantly, of course he would be used to catch them by now.   
…  
Wow that sounded mean. Arthur took the boots from his servant wordlessly. How hard could this be?

For the record, Arthur loved Merlin.   
Really. They guy showed him how to properly clean boots, doing almost all of it by himself. Almost wordlessly, with eased practice. As though he showed clueless people how to do it all the time.   
Rather than being the clueless one.   
Arthur picked it up faster than he thought possible. And Merlin wasn´t making fun of him.   
Not to mention, Arthur hated doing this and Merlin did it almost every day....  
His respect for the man was growing with every scrub. 

Half an hour later of learning, the other dragon knights went over, throwing their boot in their faces. Merlin didn´t even blink, but Arthur really wanted to pummel them.   
After all, they just threw some dirt on the boots he had just cleaned. 

“GOD! Can´t they at least wait until I´m done?”, he hissed, receiving a chuckle from Merlin. 

“What?”, he hissed at him and Merlin threw up his arms in defense. 

“Nothing. Just – you deserve it. You make me do that at least once a week. Karma.”  
“That´s different, Either I do that or put you in the stock. At least you´re doing something productive then.”

“Yes, yes. I know. I´m not complaining.”, but Merlin laughed, humming next to him, as he started polishing another boot. 

“Are you enjoying this?”, Arthur asked, disbelieve evident in his tone. 

“Oh come on, it´s not that bad. They could be torturing us.”

“How is this different?”

Merlin stopped in his movements, looking at him as if to say: “really?”

Arthur didn´t argue after that. He complained under his breath, but continued his work rather quietly after that.

___________

“Fetch us some dinner, your majesty.”, the boy from before (still lazing against his dragon) said, yawning, as he snacked on some berries that Merlin had given him earlier.   
Apparently his name was Tom. He was rather slim, beard not quite growing yet. Despite him looking as though he was about their age.   
His skin was fare and dark. His brown eyes dark against the colorful surroundings.   
His voice was high – like that of a woman. But it was clear in the way he moved, the way he spoke. He had the pride and strength to become a powerful knight. 

Though, looking at this Mary girl, he wondered if maybe women could be that too. After all – the dragons didn´t seem to mind. 

“Yes, yes. Anything else, my lord?”, Arthur bowed sarcastically.   
Tom laughed. “Yes. Merlin can wash my dragon. I´m not a lord though. Of course it´s nice to hear that from the king himself, but I am a knight. A dragon knight.”

Arthur rolled his eyes. “Yes – Sire. Though I would advice that Merlin makes dinner. I´m a horrible cook. Believe me, I´ve tried.”  
The boy opened his eyes. 

“You´ve tried cooking before?”, he raised an eyebrow in suspicion.   
“Really? That´s what you´re catching up on? Yes, I did.”

Tom looked him up and down, as though he tried to see something, while two children and an old woman were playing with another young dragon behind them. 

“Well – I´m sure that makes sense. I don´t really want to risk being poisoned tonight.   
Good good. Tell him. Elaine, can you call your dragon back please?”  
“Lagós! Let him go.”, one of the girls on the field called and Arthur stared in horror, as the dragon they were playing with just – spit Merlin out.   
What the actual.... 

“Merlin!”, Arthur shouted, letting everything he had fall to the ground as he rushed forward to check on his best friend.   
Tom, startled by the sudden noise, jumped up, ready to defend himself, as he turned around, eyes wide at Arthur.   
The king of Camelot. Without weapons, without anything to defend himself with, just picked up the coughing servant. A boy, covered in dragon saliva, just to hug him when he realized the boy was still breathing. 

“Thank god. What the hell? I leave you out my side for one second and you get yourself eaten by a dragon!”, he muttered, ignoring their audience, as Merlin grinned at him.   
“So, you do watch me all the time?”, the servant shot back.   
Was he – flirting with the king?

“Don´t flatter yourself.”, Arthur rolled his eyes, but his relieved smile betrayed him. 

Tom decided, with a glance to his fellow knights, they should probably not utter a word of this to Mary. That could get them in trouble.   
This thought got to waste, when he felt her hand on his shoulder. “Tom -”, she warned. 

“King of Camelot! Your servant is supposed to cook us dinner now. He can get eaten by Lagós later.”, she said, without a hint of sympathy.   
“Don´t think we will show you any sympathy, just because you´re trying to keep the only person alive who can teach you how to serve us, king.”

Arthur´s mouth dropped open as she spit out his title. 

She stepped forward, ordering Xif to lay down beside her, then she leaned against him, just like Tom had before at Ilios.   
“You know nothing about the sacrifices people like him make to you.”, she said, curling up against her dragon. Not without ordering him to protect her, when she slept. 

The sun was setting already, stars shining brightly above them, as Merlin freed himself from Arthur´s grip.   
“She´s not entirely wrong, you know? I think it would do you some good to learn what your servants do all day. Come with me, I´ll teach you how to cook.”  
Merlin stood up, as though he wasn´t faced by himself being eaten by a dragon before. 

“Are you really okay?”, Arthur asked, mouth dry from holding back his fearful tears.   
“You know – honestly? I´ve faced worse.”, Merlin grinned, as he walked down to the small stream that disrupted the flower fields and went in to wash himself. 

Arthur followed, trying to clean himself as well. Then, Merlin went to the shore again and picked out a long branch that must have fallen from one of the many trees around here.   
“There is fish in here. Here!”, he threw the branch at Arthur who caught it with ease.   
“You´re a hunter. I´m sure you can catch some.”, Merlin laughed at the wondering look in Arthur´s eyes. 

“How are you so calm Merlin?”

Merlin shrugged as he picked up another branch.   
“I think – I´m just glad I won´t have to watch a beheading for some time.”, he said honestly.   
Arthur stopped, in the middle of focusing on a fish in the water. 

“Right – you even hate hunting...”, Arthur blinked, wondering about it. Because Merlin suddenly had a fish in his hand, when had he caught it?

“Nah, I just hate unreasonable killing.”, Merlin said, watching the stream more closely. 

Arthur blinked. “And killing sorcerers is unreasonable?”

Merlin turned to him, laughing a little. “I can´t really see the reason in killing people for something they have no control or choice over.”, his branch shot down once more. 

“YOU told me, there would be no place for magic in Camelot, Merlin.”

Merlin stilled, back turned to Arthur.   
“I´m glad you didn´t listen to me.”, he said. Arthur blinked.   
“Merlin – that was not a decision you would have gotten a second choice over! Why would you even – why?”

It didn´t make sense. Now less then ever. 

“Let´s just say, the decision was a lot more complex than what you knew. But I believe you made the right decision.”, Merlin smiled at him. And his smile as so bright and honest, Arthur hadn´t seen that one in years. 

“What on earth do you mean by that?”  
Merlin must be out of his mind. It was an easy decision... well not as an easy choice, but it was a clear one. Either let magic back to Camelot, or let Mordred die. What was complex about that?

“Let´s just say there is a lot of stuff happening around you that you don´t know about.”, Merlin ominously said. 

Arthur bridged his nose.   
“Alright Merlin. If this is about how many times you think you´ve saved my life before.... How much do I not know? Let me guess, more than I can count? Because Merlin, this is not the time to make fun of me.”

Merlin turned to him. Smile vanished, replaced by a sadness that struck Arthur as – well – an old scar. Maybe many scars.   
“No. That wouldn´t be fair. You can´t count what you don´t see.”, Merlin said with sorrow and Arthur opened his mouth to argue, but Merlin was focusing on fish once more. 

“But it´s more than I can count.”, Merlin added, emphasizing the word I. Arthur stood there frozen. What on earth was Merlin talking about?   
Somehow Arthur felt like this puzzle was missing more pieces than he initially thought. 

_________________

The twelve knights sat around them, eating whatever it was that Merlin had cooked for them with starving hunger.   
Arthur – had to wait. He was starving himself. He hadn´t eaten all day and he had been helping Merlin with all the chores.   
He had scrubbed and cleaned dragons like they were some kind of giant statue who would eat you if you missed a scale. For Arthur to even agree to that … you know him.

Admittedly, Merlin had done more, but still. Arthur had carried water to wash, water to cook. He had done their laundry, he had cleaned their boots.   
And what did he get?  
Yes, he was supposed to run from the giant blue sword dragon, Xif was it´s name? As it spit fire at him.   
Without the intention of hitting him with it, but close enough.   
Arthur was running for his life, while Merlin watched him with worry. 

“Can you please stop Xif?”, he said to Mary, who was eyeing the soup warily.   
“And why would I do that?”, she asked annoyed. Eyes squinting at Merlin.   
“Because your king need his beauty rest? That ass deserves to see how we live. In fear of someone far more powerful than us. Running after us, while we starve, demanding for more food, because they eat of boredom. You of all people must see that.”, she took a bite.   
Her stomach growling as her eyes lit up and she took another.   
At least she liked the food, Merlin thought. 

“Arthur is a good man.”, he started, hesitantly. “The fact that he barely complained proves that.”

She laughed at that. “He´s been complaining the entire time.”

“As do you.”, Merlin sighed, causing her to snap her head in his direction. 

“I´m sorry. I wasn´t meaning to criticize you or the lecture you´re putting on Arthur. What I meant to say was, give Xif a rest. He looks exhausted. You´ve been ordering him around all day.”, he said, handing a bowl to a young boy, whose dragon was nudging at him, causing him to laugh.   
Merlin smiled at the sight. 

Mary stopped eating entirely, putting down her bowl.   
“And why would you care about my dragon.”, she furrowed her eyebrows at him, trying to read his intentions.  
(Arthur ran by behind them, screaming something about stupid dragons, while his shirt caught fire.)

“Because -”, Merlin stood up at that and walked in Xif´s path, as he turned around and stopped right in front of the giant dragon. The dragon was still spitting fire. 

“STOP!”, Mary hissed at her dragon, whose fire barely brushed Merlin´s shirt. The dragon stopped, heaving now in front of the servant. Merlin reached out his hand, putting it on the dragon´s nose, while he heard Arthur coughing out water from down the stream. 

“I think these dragons chose you for a reason. And I don´t want to see you abuse them with your powers.”, he declared and the dragon leaned his snout at Merlin´s hand in gratitude.   
Mary stood up angrily now. 

“You have no right to say that!”, she said. “You have no idea what you´re talking about!”, she raised her spoon at him threateningly, but Merlin wasn´t impressed by it.   
“That man -”, she pointed in Arthur´s direction, who was just returning, drenched in water to his bones, watching their exchange.   
“That man has murdered innocent people. My brother became a restless ghost to haunt him. I have to live with the knowledge that I couldn´t save him from dying, neither could I help him move to the afterlife. He´s doomed to become a demon!”, she hissed at Merlin.   
Her fellow knights stopped eating now. 

Arthur approached slowly. 

“And HE doesn´t even know. His father being our doom and him our savior? My ass. He´s just as responsible. I will not fall to his tricks.”, she glared at Arthur and then turned away. 

“Arthur has brought peace -”

“He did not!”, she shouted. 

“- he made amends with your brother.”, Merlin said. She turned around, scoffing. “I was there. It was a young boy at a well. A druids camp somewhere at the border of Cendrid´s kingdom. The boy has moved on by now.”

Her mouth opened, staring between the two of them.   
Then the anger overwhelmed her. “NO, I don´t believe a word you say! XIF KILL HIM!”

The dragon at Merlin´s hand widened his eyes, as it´s pupils became smaller. He couldn´t stop himself, Merlin knew that, as Arthur looked at them bewildered. Not understanding what she had said.   
The thing is – the dragon would have to go through with the command. Merlin knew he had no other choice.

“XIF YOU WILL NOT!”, Merlin shouted. 

It was a rumbling sound. Deeper than any of the knights or Arthur had ever heard. Their bowls fell to the ground, plattering on ground at Merlin´s fierce expression. 

“You don´t have the power to control my dragon!”, Mary shrieked, about to attack Merlin, as she screamed: “DO WHAT I TOLD YOU!”  
But the dragon didn´t move. Didn´t even flinch. Because he had no choice.   
No choice but to listen to a dragon lord - 

“You are Emrys.”, Menos hands covered his mouth as he fell back on the ground.   
Arthur opened his mouth to say something, but he didn´t get what was going on. 

Merlin had just – commanded the dragon? Wait – Emrys what now? Arthur´s eyes widened. You mean the king of the magical world Menos had told him about?

“You´re a dragon lord? No – no that´s impossible – you can´t be -”

But her dragon did not listen to her.   
“Messing with Arthur is one thing. But you do not order to kill him.”, Merlin said, voice cold. 

Arthur´s eyes snapped to Merlin. Was that what she had ordered her dragon to do? Kill him?

“Every dragon lord, every dragon knight has the responsibility to take care of their dragons. To ensure their safety. Not abuse their powers to let them serve you.   
And ordering them to kill someone – “  
Merlin shook his head. 

“And who told you that!”, Mary said, clearly intimidated by Merlin. “You just ordered him not to listen to me!”, she huffed with even more anger.   
She was weak now. Weak without her dragon. 

“My father.”, he said without blinking. 

“Xif, if you so like, would you please take her to her brothers well? I´m sure she will see that he is not there anymore. Try calming her down. And don´t listen if she orders you to kill innocent people.”, only the last sentence was an order.   
And order Arthur couldn´t hear. But the dragon nodded at Merlin and stomped over to his mistress. Grabbing her fleeing form with his claws, before he flew off. 

Merlin turned around to the other knights.   
“So. I fear we don´t have that much food left – I´ll make sure to get some more.”, he said, pointing at the spilled bowls.

Then, he left. Leaving Arthur standing in the cold. 

________________

Merlin was -   
Arthur shook his head as he sat in front of the fire. Hunger momentarily forgotten.   
The thought wasn´t even concluding in his mind. The sentences left unsaid.   
But the knowledge hit him anyway.   
Sorcery! He could hear his father scream. And wasn´t that a ridiculous thing to think?  
Arthur almost laughed.

Merlin was at the stream once more. Fishing.   
Arthur could see his small form from where he sat.

“Did you know?”, Menos asked, sitting down next to Arthur.   
“No.”, Arthur admitted.   
“Wow, that must be a shock. I mean – Emrys is like – the most powerful sorcerer and dragon lord to ever walk the earth.” The boy shook his head.  
“Never thought he would ever come here.”, he added, petting Filo who´s giant head was now resting on his lap. 

“Merlin?”, Arthur chuckled. No – this must be a mistake. Merlin was a clumsy fool. Arthur shook his head, looking at his feet as he tried to remember all those times Merlin had been searching for woodworms, or been thrown in the stocks.   
Well – the latter ones Arthur had ordered, he still deserved it though. 

“I take it, you must be the once and future king then?”

Arthur´s head snapped up. Fixed on Merlin again, who apparently had just caught another fish.   
“He- he called me that before.”

“So it´s true then.”, Menos smiled, causing Arthur to turn his attention to him then.   
“What do you mean?”

Menos sighed, shaking his head as he realized how little Arthur knew. '  
“The once and future king is prophesied to unite the lands of Albion and bring magic back to this land. It is said that him and Emrys are two sides of the same coin. Without you, he cannot fulfill his destiny. Without him, you cannot fulfill yours.”

“I don´t understand. This is Merlin. Merlin is no – sorcerer or whatever. He´s just -”

“Still alive?”

Arthur cocked an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Think about it. I´ve heard the stories said about you, Arthur. How you defeated a dragon. How you defeated the monster at the well. How you have proven yourself worth a unicorns life.   
Defeating immortal armies, stuff like that.   
And at all those times, Emrys was at your side, was he not? Have you ever wondered – around him -”, he nudged in Merlin´s general direction. “how your best men die during these missions, but your servant is still alive? How you are still alive?  
He is protecting you.”

Arthur opened his mouth to say something, but right then, a thought hit him.   
It was a memory. Merlin´s voice. “Do you know how many times I´ve saved your life?”  
Arthur closed his mouth. 

Arthur had granted magic to return to Camelot. Yes. But a part of him wanted to scream at him. Merlin was a sorcerer, he had betrayed him. He had only served him to bring magic back.   
But – another part of him knew better. 

“There can be no place for magic in Camelot.”

Arthur felt the goosebumps in his stomach. Not just on his arms and back. He could feel it deep within. It didn´t make sense. If this was Merlin´s destiny, if it truly was – then why...?

He stood up, startling Menos in the process.   
But Arthur didn´t care. He had to ask. So he walked down to the stream. Taking a deep breath, as he saw Merlin work. 

__________________

“Merlin. Or should I call you Emrys?”, Arthur started.   
Merlin didn´t stop fishing, as though he had waited for Arthur to come. 

“You´re not going to behead me, are you?”, Merlin asked quietly.   
“On what law would I do that? Magic is legal now.”

Merlin stilled, finally. “Do you want to tell me, I haven´t betrayed or lied to you? Or that you understand why? Because if that´s what you think, you don´t know half of it.”

Arthur´s jaw clenched at that. Why was this so difficult.   
“I wanted to ask you something.”  
Better get straight to the point then. Merlin nodded at him. Asking him to go ahead.   
“Menos told me that it´s your destiny to make me bring magic back to this realm.”  
Merlin bit his lip. Arthur knew he would, even though his back was still turned to him. 

“When we were talking to the Dissir – you told me there could be no place for magic in Camelot. Why on earth would you do that? We were about to save Mordred with it. Why would you advice me against it? Did you know I wouldn´t listen to you?”

Merlin sighed. “No. I was convinced you would.”, he admitted, causing Arthur´s eyes to widen once more. Finally, Merlin turned around. But a part of Arthur wished, he hadn´t.   
There were bags under his eyes. Merlin looked – old in a weird way. Like there was a burden on his shoulders that he had to carry all by himself.   
Arthur knew that feeling, but he had never seen someone who looked so – alone with it.   
Even his father didn´t look this exhausted. 

“Tell me.”, Arthur demanded, seeing a hint of a smile on Merlin´s face. At least he could still do that.   
“I assume you speak of the prophecy of Emrys and the once and future king.   
I doubt Menos told you about the destiny of Mordred and Morgana.”  
Arthur tilted his head in curiosity. “What do you mean?”

“Mordred is destined to kill you Arthur.”

A wind suddenly passed by. Or maybe Arthur was just suddenly aware of it. Of the cold bite in his face, the ruffling against his hair. The cold of his still wet shirt.   
He blinked. Looking at Merlin, trying to read his expression. 

“What you´re saying is -”, Arthur began slowly, as Merlin sighed and went back to fishing.   
“You gave up your destiny, because you thought it would save my life?  
You put my life above - “, he vaguely pointed at Merlin, causing him to laugh. 

“In the beginning, yeah, I thought I would make the same choice you made in the end.   
But – I can´t loose you Arthur. I already have an eternity without you that awaits me. I´d prefer that to happen later in life.”  
Arthur frowned. “You´re destined to live until you´re two hundred or what? Like those old wittery sorcerers? Yeah, like the guy who killed my father?”  
Yikes, his joke went a bit far. Merlin was laughing at first, but at the mention of Dragoon the great …  
“Yeah, no. My name – my other name – Emrys, means immortal. The stronger I become, the longer I live. The longer I live – the stronger I become.”  
Arthur paused, his earlier amusement falling.   
“And I never meant to kill your father. Morgana put a spell on him that every spell that was used to save him would fall back at him tenth fold. I found out through Gaius later on.   
I never planned to ...” Merlin was shaking now, but Arthur´s eyes widened with fear – with anger. 

“YOU killed my father.”, he spat out, hand wandering to where his sword was supposed to rest, but something about his own voice made Merlin snap.   
“YOU killed the love of my life!”, he shot back.   
Arthur´s hand fell. “What?”  
Merlin´s eyes widened at what he said, covering his mouth and shaking his head. 

“No, please ignore that. I understand how you feel. I do – And I don´t really blame your for the basted but -”

“What has the basted to do with anything?”  
Merlin heaved a breath. “Maybe I need to start from the beginning. You should probably sit down.”

Arthur looked to the ground.   
“Not in the stream, you prat. Let´s go to the fire. Then I´ll tell you everything.”

Arthur gulped – then nodded, as he left Merlin in the water.   
Clearly – Arthur was missing a lot. So much information he couldn´t quite grasp, it gave him a headache. He thought he knew Merlin.   
Now he wasn´t even sure he knew his real name. 

_______________

Arthur – and the knights surrounded Merlin at the fire. Arthur sat next to him. If only to keep up appearances. But the knights seemed to sense some kind of distress between them.   
So they kept quiet, only listening until deep into the night.   
Admittedly it was a long story.   
And Arthur – Arthur realized just how stupid he had been all those previous years. Merlin had always been a horrible liar. The fact that Arthur had just overlooked so many obvious hints -   
It was exhausting to listen. Exhilarating and exciting. 

So many things Merlin had done – so many things Arthur had just blamed on Merlin´s stupidity – they all made sense now.   
Looking for woodworms my ass. 

Also Arthur really had to talk a word with the guards at the vaults and the dungeons. Literally anyone can get in or out, what the hell?  
What worried him though -  
Merlin was not lying now. He wasn´t shuffling awkwardly as he told him how many times he had almost killed Morgana. How it was his fault what came off her.   
Though – after everything Arthur had heard – he couldn´t blame Merlin for trying to save him. 

He blamed Uther.   
He blamed that freaking riddle of a dragon.   
He blamed the druids who expected a child to fulfill a prophecy he knew nothing about. Who refused to help him, but blamed him when he failed. 

Arthur was furious. And he wished Merlin had come to him earlier. But he understood why he didn´t. Finally he understood why he didn´t. 

___________________

“There is just one thing I don´t get Merlin.”  
It was his right name. Arthur hadn´t expected to be so relieved about that part. 

“What? That I was born with it? Because I´ve expected that question – I-”

“What no. I get that. Makes sense, actually.   
I was just wondering Merlin -”, Arthur shot him an evil grin. “-why didn´t you tell me before I became the servant of a bunch of homeless people with giant lizards?”

Merlin chuckled, shrinking into himself mischievously.   
“Well – I thought it would do you some good – learning what servants do and all that.”

“I am a KING!”, Arthur threw up his arms in exasperation.   
“So am I, apparently. And I am YOUR servant.”, Merlin shrugged. Causing Arthur to freeze, arms midair. 

“About that -”  
“If you ask me to become a knight or a court sorcerer I promise I will smack you.”, Merlin warned, as it started dawning and the dragons finally fell asleep. 

“I have more than enough responsibilities as your servant and Gaius apprentice. Thank you very much.”

Arthur laughed at that. “I was thinking of releasing you as my servant.”  
“You want to fire me? Are you nuts? You wouldn´t survive a day! Nope, not happening.   
I was born to serve you.”

“I have to die to get rid of you, don´t I?”, Arthur couldn´t help it. With everything he knew now, this conversation was absolutely ridiculous. 

“Bold of you to assume death could get you out of this relationship.”, Merlin shot back, causing Arthur to laugh out loud.  
“Calm down. I get it. How about I´ll give you a raise then?”  
Merlin looked at him warily.   
“What are you talking about?”

“Your wages. I´ll raise them.”

It was almost comical how Merlin´s eyes widened at that in honest surprise.   
“I´m getting paid?”

Arthur, who unfortunately had just taken a sip - choked on his water. 

____________________

In the end – the dragon knights had agreed to a peace treaty with Camelot. They were now under Camelots and Emrys protection. In return, they would have to respond to their calls.   
All in all – it went quite well.   
The only problem would probably be Mary. And they had yet to face Morgana. Not to mention, Arthur had to make a decision about Mordred. But was a story for another time.


End file.
